ReconstructionIdentifying the Different Plans for Reconstructing the South

What Are the Issues? Reconstruction: The

process of readmitting the 11 southern states back into the Union, rebuilding its economy, and protect the rights of former slaves

Issue #1: What requirement will there be for readmission? Are Confederate leaders

traitors? Quick vs Slow? Oath of loyalty to the

US?

What Are the Issues? Issue #2: How will the Southern economy

be rebuilt? Half of livestock gone, ¼ of white men killed in

war 4 million freed blacks in the South with no homes

or jobs Who should control the land?

40 acres and a mule to freed blacks? Is is constitutional to take land away from some?

What Are the Issues? Issue #3: What rights

will African Americans have? Slaves had been freed,

but blacks still had no rights of citizens

White northerners vs. white Southerners

Why might Southerners not want to give blacks full citizenship at this time?

Lincoln’s Plan Lincoln wanted to go easy

on the South (moderate plan)

Ten Percent Plan: Each state needed 10% of

its voters to swear loyalty to the Union before it could form an official state government

If a state abolished slavery and gave education to blacks, it could be represented in Congress

Lincoln’s Plan Lincoln was generous

to Southerners Granted pardons to

Confederate officials Did not provide for

equality of AA’s Lincoln wanted

Reconstruction to be done with “malice toward none”

A Presidential pardon saved this Turkey’s life on Thanksgiving. Way to go George!

Opposition to Lincoln’s Plan Members of Lincoln’s own party didn’t think his

plan went far enough This group is known as the Radical Republicans

Led by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner

Beliefs of Radical Republicans Believe:

Confederates committed crimes by enslaving AA’s

Confederates committed crimes by starting the Civil War

Advocate for full citizenship for AA’s, Sherman’s “40 acres and a mule”

Harsh punishment of the South

Radical-Republicans Plan The Radical Republicans

in Congress helped pass the Wade-Davis Bill: A majority of pre-war

voters in South must swear oath of loyalty to Union

Demanded guarantee of AA equality

Abe Lincoln blocked this bill by a pocket veto: Meaning he just never signed it

The Government Supports Freedmen Radical Republicans

and the President did agree on one thing Established the

Freedman’s Bureau Goal to provide clothing,

healthcare, and education for black and white refugees in the South

President Johnson Andrew Johnson

would replace Lincoln after the assassination in 1865

Born in Raleigh NC He wanted the quick

re-admittance of Southern states to the Union

Johnson’s Plan Offered pardons to

any Confederate swearing allegiance to Union and Constitution

Each state must ratify the 13th amendment

Supported states rights and did NOT want equality of African Americans

Southerners Return to Old Ways Most Confederate states

quickly were readmitted under Johnson’s plan

But problems remained Black codes were

established These laws limited the

rights of African Americans

Prevented freedman from owning land, kept them working it though

The Black Codes Jobs were limited for AA’s

Servants Farm laborers

Law stated any black person without a job could be arrested and sent to work in a prison camp

Violence and intimidation was used to enforce these black codes

Congress Fights Back Republicans refused to

allow Southerners to sit in Congress

Republicans also tried to force the South to treat AA’s equally

Republicans passed legislation to help freed slaves, but President Johnson vetoed these attempts

Congressional Plans for Reconstruction

Congress blamed violent and disobedience in the South on Johnson’s lenient policies

2/3 majority in congress decide to override one of Johnson’s vetoes Civil Rights Act of 1866

passed This gave a federal

guarantee of civil rights for AA’s (outlawed black codes)

Radical Reconstruction Begins 14th amendment: Guarantees citizenship

for all AA’s Also prevented any state from passing laws that

take away civil rights from citizens

Any state not following this could not take part in Congress

No former Confederate officials could take part in government

Radical Reconstruction Begins Congress also divided 10 southern states into 5 military

districts Union Generals would govern each district and make

sure laws are enforced

Radical Reconstruction Begins

In order to be welcomed into the Union, each state had to write a new constitution that granted suffrage for AA’s Also must ratify 14th amendment

Johnson Is Impeached! Tenure of Office Act:

This limited the power of the President by requiring Senate approval before firing certain government officials

Johnson tested this by firing the Sec. Of War (a Radical Republican)

Johnson Is Impeached! Congress responds by

impeaching Johnson Impeach: to charge with

wrongdoing in office Congress was one vote

shy of removing Johnson from office

Before leaving, Johnson would let Radical Reconstruction take its course

15 Amendment 15th amendment: No

citizen can be denied the right to vote because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”

Enforcement Acts: This made intimidation of voters a federal crime

Both of these ensure a fair voting process

Reconstruction In the South

African Americans Use Political Power

By 1870 the Union was pieced back together Million of southern black

men were now able to vote

The result was many southern states with black elected officials

Republican Party gains a lot of strength from this group of voters as well

Scalawags In the South Scalawag: Southern white men who voted

for the Republican Party Most white southerners viewed the

scalawags as traitors to the South This gave the hated Republican party even

more strength in the South

Carpetbaggers In the South Carpetbaggers:

Northerners who came to the South for economic or political gain

Southerners view them as opportunists trying to make a fortune off the devastated Southern economy

Successes and Failures In the South, women

had opportunity to work in medical field, child care, education, or relief work

School were segregated between blacks and whites

Education was poor in the South

Racial violence in the South

Freed People Build New Lives With freedom, most blacks still suffered from

poor housing and food, while still working the land for someone else

Remaking the Southern Economy Most of Southern land was owned by

wealthy white men This leaves many landless white and black

men This left 3 options:

Sharecropping Share-tenancy Tenant farming

Sharecropping Sharecropping: A system

where landowners determine which crop will be grown Landowner provides place

to live for the farmer, as well as any seed or tools needed to farm

The farmer would receive a small “share” of the harvested crop and give the rest to the landowner

Sharecropping Problem: The landowner used credit to buy the supplies

He simply passed this cost along to the sharecropper, who was always in debt

This system was often just as bad (or worse) than slavery

Share-tenancy Share-tenancy: Similar to sharecropping, except

the farmer chose the crop to be grown Farmer buys own supplies This allows the farmer to control his money more

Tenant Farming Tenant Farming:

Farmer pays rent (in cash) to landowner Farmer was free to do

whatever he wanted with the land

This was more rare as it required one to already have money (of which former slaves had none)

Violence Hurts Reform Efforts Southerners resented

the Republican party, military occupation, and harsh economic conditions

The KKK was one group (Ku Klux Klan) Use terrorism against

AA’s and any who support AA rights

The Government Responds The KKK burned buildings, murdered

freedmen and their allies To curb this violence, Congress passed the

Enforcement Acts This made it against the law to interfere with any

citizen’s right to vote

This did help reduce violence, but it did not eliminate it

End of Reconstruction

Corruption During Grant’s Presidency US Grant had a

disappointing Presidency

He gave high level government jobs to friends What is this called? These “friends” used

their jobs to become rich, often involving illegal activities

Corruption During Grant’s Presidency

As more and more corruption was exposed, the public lost confidence in its leaders

Economic Trouble 1873 – A major bank

failed as a result of giving out risky loans that weren't being paid back This big bank ran out of

money Now, businesses can’t

afford to pay employees That leads to job losses People aren’t buying, so

businesses fail

Economic Trouble This leads to the Panic

of 1873 It was a time of an

uncertain and weak economy

High unemployment and not many people buying goods

Causes For the End of Reconstruction Northern support goes

away Corruption in politics

became a more important issue to Northerners

The economy distracted Northerners

Cost of military occupation in South was viewed as too high

Radical Republican leaders were dead

Causes For the End of Reconstruction Supreme Court Stalls

Equality Efforts Slaughterhouse cases

attempted to take away equal rights

US vs. Cruikshank: This stated that the AA’s were not protected from individuals, only the state government

Causes For the End of Reconstruction Southern Whites Gain

Power Redeemers: Southern, white

politicians who wanted to “redeem” the South in Congress

In other words, they wanted to break free from Republican, northern control

This support for the Democratic party by Southerners is known as the solid south

Reconstruction Ends Election of 1876

Republican = Rutherford B. Hayes Democrat = Samuel Tilden Both were devoted to fighting corruption

Election of 1876 The results were disputed, with Tilden winning the

popular vote Republicans claimed the votes were miscounted The Compromise of 1877 decided Hayes would be

president, but… Military withdrawn from the South Southerner appointed to President’s cabinet South given $ to improve RR’s and ports Official end of Reconstruction

Effects of Reconstruction On the South

A tax supported school system for the 1st time Money to improve RR’s No more dependence on cotton, now its several

crops

Effects of Reconstruction On African Americans

Now could vote, own land

Freedmen’s Bureau helped to reunite families and educated freed slaves

13th, 14th, 15th amendments all helped AA’s

Effects of Reconstruction On Women’s Attempts

to Vote Women did NOT receive

the right to vote Women like Elizabeth

Cady Stanton formed National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA)

Called for immediate right to vote for women

Effects of Reconstruction On State and National

Politics AA’s and northerners

were primarily Republican Party supporting Big

Business White Southerners

dominated the Democrats Party supporting laborers